TRP: Larkin and Renar (Refuge)
Jen: at 4:06 PM SETTING Renar Basha's warehouse, after the fight against Ripley. "Fucking cut it out, Shrewd." Larkin stepped in between the tiefling and Goro, holding up her hands. “It’s fine. They’re not- fuck, they’re not gonna cause any trouble.” She took a look around at the assembled soldiers. All of them had knifes drawn or crossbows at the ready, just waiting for someone to make a wrong move. The tension in the air was almost tangible and Larkin gathered that if she didn’t defuse it right now, shit would go south. She turned to point a finger at the graverunners. “None of you fucking move, understand? Don’t look at anyone, don’t go anywhere, don’t touch anything. Just pretend you’re fucking furniture, alright?” Behind her, she heard Shrewd clear his throat. “Whatever the fuck this is, Larkin-” “Yeah, shit I know.” She glanced back at the headman and waved him off. “Look, I know you’re just doing your job but we’ll need ‘em and I gotta talk to Renar, so could you please not kill them until I’m back? You can wait that fucking long, can’t you?” Shrewd gave her a scowl and gestured at the group. “I want their weapons.” “Yeah, whatever. They’ll give ‘em up. Hansel,“ Larkin spun back around to fix him with a stern look. “Make sure no one does anything stupid, alright?” Without waiting for an answer, she turned to address Shrewd once again. “Take this one,” she pointed at Goro, tied up and gagged, lying on his side and struggling against the restraints. “Take him down the cellar. The small room, y’know. Put some of the heavy boys outside. Haeth,” she snapped a finger at him. “Come on, we’ll be doing some negotiating now.” Coyote: at 4:14 PM Mishka's eyes were shadowed, and he shot her a look. He was digging his nails into his wrist. His made himself stop. His heart was still roaring in his chest, and every nerve in his body was screaming at him to fucking run. There were hosts around the building; they could break in and get him. He'd gotten too close to using all his magic. If he burned all his magic, he only had one dimension stepping spell left. She was going to get him. Or the men around him, their knives and crossbrows drawn. Mishka locked his jaw. He had to stay. If he teleported out of the building, where would he go? Some random place in the city? And then he'd be stuck there. His panic room. He calculated it in his head. He could get to his panic room and stay there. He could take one person with him. He exhaled, slowly. No. He had to stay. He had to help Joan, and Goro-- Fuck, the kid was hosted. He had no clue was the bitch was going to put him through. There was too much going on. Renar was too sharp, and he'd noticed Mishka was off his game. "No thanks," Mishka said. "You've got it on your own. I need to stay here. I might be needed. I can't use your magic in your uncle's office." Blunt, Hansel had said. No excuses or lies. Just 'no.' He watched her to see how that'd work. Jen: at 4:50 PM Larkin hadn't even stopped to see if he was coming so, she'd already crossed half the distance to the stairs when she stopped to look back at Haeth. He looked... at the edge. Shit, she hadn't even noticed that until now but in this moment, the picture fell into place. That elf was probably fucking traumatized by all the puppets. Larkin didn't think she "got this on her own" but Haeth didn't look like he'd be going anywhere. "Ugh. Alright, stay then and help Hansel or whatever." There was just no time to argue. She turned her back on him and sprinted over to the stairs, then climbed up to the gallery under the warehouse roof. November 4, 2018 Coyote: at 9:50 AM Renar was just stepping into the hallway, the anti-magic device in hand, a guard with him. “Larkin,” he said curtly. He wasn’t sure if this situation was better or worse. The puppets were mostly gone from around the warehouse for now— but the lookout on the roof said there were more coming. And they looked angrier, this time. Jen: at 9:53 AM "Uncle," Larkin called over the moment she spotted him. "How's things in here? You got all cracks sealed?" Coyote: at 9:57 AM “As far as we can find. Until you brought one of them in here.” He watched Larkin passively. “These people. I see they’re fighters of some sort. Are they reinforcements for the warehouse, or something else?” Jen: at 10:06 AM "They're from the guild." She stopped a few paces away, catching her breath and grimacing with the pain that started to break through the fading rush of adrenaline. Fuck, Ripley had gotten her good. A couple of broken ribs maybe and something sending a trickle of blood down one side of her face and making her head pound. She'd have to tend to that later. Larkin nodded a greeting to the man behind Renar, one of his regulars, then moved in closer. "Goro - the host - he's downstairs tied up. Shrewd's gonna put him in the cell. He won't be a problem, we just- ow." A jolt of pain went through her side, making her wheeze. "Just need to get patched up a bit, then we gonna go kill that Diva bitch. Haeth's downstairs, too. He's helping." Coyote: at 10:23 AM This was no good. Renar watched a moment, appraised the damage. “Get Lynette,” he said briefly to his guard. The guard left and returned in only a moment, bringing a mousy young woman only twenty years of age or so wearing fine clothing. The guard stood close to her. Lynette murmured a prayer under her breath and rested her hands on Larkin’s chest, and a silvery light sank into Larkin’s skin. Jen: at 10:39 AM "Thanks, Lynette," Larkin mumbled, wincing with the sensation of bones sliding back into position. Yep, definitely the ribs. She patted her sides and then her head to check the wounds. Her fingers came away bloody from her head but the pain had faded to a dull throbbing. The little cleric had really gotten good at this over the years. Coyote: at 10:49 AM He calculated the situation bluntly. He couldn’t send reinforcements with her; they needed everyone they had to defend the building. There was a large network of sewers, smuggling tunnels, and old forgotten places under the city. There was a door under the warehouse leading to a long tunnel that connected to various places. They had a thick metal door there, and it was currently barred shut to keep any potential puppets out. “Kill the Diva bitch,” he repeated. “Well.” If she failed, then he’d be in the same situation as before. If she succeeded: then good. “How long do you need to stay here? And how many men do you have?” Jen: at 10:56 AM Damn, this whole situation seemed to have set Renar on edge good. Larkin wasn't going to complain about him being so forthcoming, though, all the better if she didn't have to convince him they needed his help. "We're... six." Shit, saying that number out sounded too fucking pathetic. They were headed on a suicide mission. "Gotta do that soon as possible some of the runners need to recover first," she added quickly. "Will you let them stay in the cellar overnight? I promise, I'll keep them from nosing around." Coyote: at 10:59 AM Renar waved his hand dismissively. “Done.” It was a suicide mission, but so be it. “How can you kill her?” He’d need to know in case things went south. Maybe he could find his own way. Somehow. Jen: at 11:05 AM Larkin shrugged. "Lop off her head? Shit, uncle, I don't know. The hosts we killed died like regular people, but we'll have to go after her... uhm, main body this time. Who knows what kind of shit she can do to protect it. Look," she clapped her hands together, giving Renar a pleading look. "Can you... can I take some of the soldiers? Not many, just some backup." Coyote: at 11:20 AM “We need everyone we can protect the building,” Renar said. “The lookouts are already saying there’s... more... coming.” They’d managed to acquire a lot of goods in the past two weeks since Larkin had come to him— but it didn’t mean shit if they all died before they could sell or move the products. “There’s a mercenary or two— or common folks taking shelter— in here as well. If you can convince any of them to go with you, then take them. But not the soldiers.” Flatly. This was not up for discussion. Jen: at 11:28 AM She considered arguing but the look he was giving her put an end to that thought quick enough. He had made up his mind and there was no budging that. He was giving her the usual treatment - somehow, he still considered this a she-problem, not a cartel-problem, and as such he wouldn't be going out of his way to solve it for her. Fuck this, fine. "I - okay. I'll go ask the hired swords then." Coyote: at 11:36 AM Her voice was sharper than he'd like. "Don't mistake me, you little she-demon," he said. "I'll help you how I can. I expect you to take care of this, Larkin. As my lieutenant. I won't spare men when it might mean those things overrun the building and kill everyone inside. You'll have to find another way." He put his hand on her shoulder. "You've done well to bring these people here, and well to infiltrate their guild, and well to warn me so we could take advantage of this. And you'll do well to take these men and kill this queen. The cartel will be stronger after this is over." Jen: at 12:01 PM As my lieutentant? Where did that come from? Larkin straightened up as Renar touched her, holding his gaze steady but thoughts running wild. From his reaction, she'd assumed he thought this was another one of her stupid mistakes. Another short coming he had to teach her a lesson over, but... for a moment, he had sounded like back when he had still tried putting her in charge of things. Before she had disappointed him by chosing to work with Finch rather than become a headman for him. Larkin nodded. "Yes, uncle. We'll get it done." Their tiny army of six. "Uncle, is Sonny in here? Might need to talk to him about buying some stuff." Coyote: at 12:05 PM "Yeah. His stock might be low. But he's here. Tell him to give you regular prices. He's been gouging the mercenaries." Jen: at 12:23 PM "Yeah. Okay, will do that." Larkin nodded again. "I'll go get the runners downstairs then. Keep 'em in line so you don't have trouble." She thought for a moment, thenn added: "We know the queen is down in the sewers. Might be we'll be taking the tunnels down there." Coyote: at 12:33 PM The queen was in the sewers. That was a horrifying thought. "Are any of your men interested in talking in the hosted one? Goro, right? The one you brought in before? I have nothing to say to the bitch-- but I'm interested in listening in if someone else wants to speak to it." There was something itchingly familiar about that half-elf, but he couldn't place it. It'd bothered him the first time Larkin had brought him in, too. Something about the nose and the jawline. Jen: at 12:40 PM "We gagged him so he can't use verbal magic." Larkin shrugged. "Bet some will wanna try and talk, but I dunno if the demon is out for a chat." Coyote: at 12:40 PM "Hm. Well, let me know. Is there anything else?" Jen: at 12:47 PM "No. If there's something, I'll let you know." With that, Renar gave her a nodded goodbye and another pat on the shoulder, then turned to retreat into his office, Lynette and the bodyguard trailing after him. Larkin remained on the gallery for a few more moments, taking in calming breaths and rubbing her face. Get the runners downstairs, go to Sonny for supplies, find some more people to help them fight, find a way to not get killed. Fuck, how'd she suddenly ended up in charge here? If only she had someone she could rely on. Like a partner that wasn't a fucking host for some eldritch horror. Shit. Well, she should probably get moving before these hooligans provoked someone downstairs. Was probably only a matter of time. She released one last sigh, then started back down. End Category:Text Roleplay